The arts play a major role at Colgate University. The music culture here is defined by the creativity of students who are excited to showcase their talents. While it was just last year that the student band Chalant brought mass attention to their band through a performance at Gate House (which was cut short due to noise complaints), several students have since taken the next step beyond joining the official music groups at Colgate — they’ve created their own bands and organized shows (in more appropriate settings) in order to bring the electrically vibrant culture of live music to our student body.
Three student bands — Edcopter, The Proof and Chalant — performed at the Creative Arts Society (CAS) theme house at 80 Broad St. on Feb. 7. Turnout was exceptional, as dozens of students seeking out an opportunity to enjoy live music, a rare occurrence in Hamilton, filled the CAS basement, which is also a pottery studio.
Junior Lara Blanton commented on how the setting of this concert made for a unique experience.
“One really cool thing about student bands is that they perform in kind of unconventional places, not necessarily a main stage,” Blanton said. “The pottery studio at CAS was such a fun place to put on the show. The vibes in there were so, so fun. A lot of the audience had friends in the bands, and you could feel how excited everyone was to be there and support their friends performing.”
While it can be difficult for student bands to find proper venues for their shows, they manage to find creative solutions that can be even more enticing. Being shoulder to shoulder with other students eager to enjoy the ambiance of a cool, indie basement performance is synonymous with the liberal arts experience of exploring various cultures and meeting new people who share common interests. Junior Max Shah, the drummer for The Proof, also made note of the audience’s energy which made the performance even more enjoyable.
“I thought the concert was incredible,” Shah said. “The small space allowed for the bands and the audience to feel really connected without it getting too crowded. I could feel the vibrant energy of the crowd when I performed, which was vastly different from when we practice ourselves. I also enjoyed working with Edcopter and Chalant. They rocked, and I think doing a show with them helped build a sense of community on campus that’s very unique.”
Shah’s statement about the vibrant energy of the crowd is no exaggeration. The room was full of students jumping up and down, dancing and cheering for the bands. The excitement for this night of live music attests to the fact that the arts play a pivotal role in our campus culture. Students in college are constantly seeking opportunities to connect through their shared interests, and it’s only human to be appreciative of the power of music.
Sophomore Andrew Tatela, the lead guitarist for Chalant, is grateful for the chance to share his passion for music with both fellow performers and students looking for something creative to enjoy on the weekends.
“The vibe was amazing; people totally brought the energy,” Tatela said. “When I first got on campus, I felt like it was kind of difficult to find student bands, and as an underclassman, it was tough to find a place for my band to rehearse. However, since then, I’ve been working on opening the Broad Street Records rehearsal space in Drake Hall, which is where two of the bands from last night regularly rehearse. I think this show was something students had been looking for for a long time and will hopefully be one of many similar shows in the future.”
If last week’s concert showed us anything, it’s that the Colgate community is fired up about the arts, and we must nurture this passion. The enthusiasm that students have for music helps to keep the culture in this small rural town alive, and the resources that Colgate offers, like the CAS theme house, give students the chance to share ideas with like-minded people. With such a successful performance in the CAS basement, we can expect to see more shows throughout the semester as the cultural impact of student bands continues to grow.
